He says he’s motivated, he’s put on muscle, and that he feels
better than ever before. You know, the kind of stuff fighters
usually say before each upcoming bout.

Much of New Mexican’s focus stems from fighting in his hometown, an
opportunity he has not been afforded since 2004, when he stopped
Ray Elbe
in 67 seconds at the not-so-creatively named King of the Cage 36
“Albuquerque.”

Plenty has changed since then. Sanchez became a star on the
inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” eventually challenged
for a UFC title and has an enduring reputation as a fan favorite
for his brawling tendencies. After putting the Duke City on the
mixed martial arts map, fighting in front of friends and family one
more time is simply icing on the cake.

“It just feels full circle,” Sanchez said. “I was the first guy
from Albuquerque to fight in the UFC, and it’s been 10 years [since
then]. As a fighter and as a man I’ve really come full circle. I’ve
grown up, made all the mistakes I could have possibly made. I’m
very mature, my feet are grounded and I’m fighting for all the
right reasons.

“I took this camp very seriously. I feel like this fight motivated
me as if I was fighting for a title -- if not more -- because of
the passion that I have for my city, but more than that, the
passion I have for my family ... I have over 160 family members
that are going to be there.”

Sanchez recognizes that, win or lose, this will likely be his last
chance to fight in the city where he blossomed as one of Greg
Jackson’s first prominent pupils. Coming off a disappointing loss
to Myles
Jury at UFC 171, where “The Dream” was hampered by everything
from Jury’s style to some bad pre-fight beef, changes had to be
made.

That started by enlisting the services of longtime Jackson-Wink MMA
head striking coach Mike Winkeljohn. It seems like a no-brainer
that, as staples of the Southwest camp, Sanchez and Winkeljohn
would have worked in tandem consistently over the years, but that
has not been the case.

Sanchez honed his standup primarily with assistant striking coach
Mike Valle in preparation for Jury, and Winkeljohn says he has not
been in the fighter’s corner since Sanchez took on Jake
Ellenberger in February 2012. Even then, the coach
affectionately known as “Wink” didn’t play a major role in his
fighter’s camp. In fact, before the current camp, Winkeljohn says
he has not worked with Sanchez on a regular basis since his King of
the Cage heyday and early UFC tenure.

Winkeljohn describes their recent relationship as “hit-and-miss.”
This time around, both fighter and trainer were on the same
page.

“I love Diego, but honestly, where he was at, he just wanted to do
his own thing on his own time,” Winkeljohn said. “So we kept
missing each other, but he really seems committed to it. I’ll tell
you what, I want to help him. He’s got the biggest heart out there
in MMA, and I want to be part of what he’s capable of doing.”

For Sanchez, that commitment is a two-way street. With the
ever-growing population of fighters inside the Southwest gym,
Winkeljohn can often find himself pulled in several different
directions. Sanchez picked up on that.

“We just devoted our time and our relationship to each other, and
we’re ready to go to battle together,” Sanchez said. “It was like,
‘OK, we’re going to do this together.’ I commit to you; you commit
to me. We’re gonna make the time regardless, because Wink has a lot
of guys. That was my only issue with Winkeljohn before was that I
wasn’t getting enough time, so I told him, ‘Look, I’ll meet you at
your gym any time and we’ll work together. I’ll never be late; I’ll
always be wrapped and ready to go.’”

Earlier in Sanchez’s UFC career, the former high school state
champion wrestler was able to impose his will through a relentless
blend of takedowns and grappling. As time has passed, his wrestling
has not been as reliable as it once was. Unable to get his
opponents down, Sanchez spends much of his time in the Octagon
attempting to draw his foes into slugfests.

When it works, the results are spectacular -- even when doesn’t
win. His crowd-pleasing clash with Gilbert
Melendez at UFC 166 -- a 2013 “Fight of the Year” candidate --
is a prime example. When it fails, a lopsided loss like the one he
suffered at the hands of Jury results.

What Winkeljohn wants to see against Pearson is the tenacity
Sanchez displayed at UFC 166 blended with a little more technical
acumen.

“That wasn’t the best Diego we saw against Myles Jury,”
Winkeljohn said. “A little more aggressive Diego but being smart
with what he does is what we’re going to see in this fight... Diego
in the past has been able to overwhelm people, but it’s going to be
a little harder to do that with Ross
Pearson because he’s so talented. I think everybody is going to
see a new and improved Diego that understands being in the right
place so he doesn’t have to get hit and can finish his
takedown.”

When Sanchez talks about everything coming full circle, maybe he
doesn’t mention Winkeljohn directly, but the same rationale
applies. Winkeljohn, along with Greg Jackson, helped Sanchez
develop into the fighter he is today. In turn, Sanchez’s rise to
stardom put the Jackson-Wink gym on the fast track to becoming an
international MMA hub.

Without him, that process could very well have taken much
longer.

“I think a couple [more] years, no doubt,” Winkeljohn said.
“Diego’s a big part of why we’re here. I think people want to see
what this is all about. This kid had this endless energy and
determination, and [everyone] wanted to be a part of that. Keith
Jardine was on the next [‘TUF’] and Rashad
Evans came with him, but Diego started it all.”